Bioinformatics Platform
Data from the various genome and proteome sequencing projects has opened the door for many industrial applications. The vast complexity of the information, combined with the many ongoing sequencing efforts, makes the daily use of the available genome analysis programs more difficult. However, if the information available can be constantly updated and analyzed it will be of significant use to the medical, academic and commercial sectors.
The Bioinformatic Platform within the CISI is an advanced research centre that is responding to the needs of the modern applications of proteomics and genomics.Our platform is a support for the development of new analysis strategies and the management of bioinformatics data in the fields of biomedicine, biotechnology, agrotechnology and the many national and international projects developed within the CISI. The bioinformatics platform consists of 15 bioinformaticists that are active in many diverse national projects (LITBIO, CNR-BIONFORMATICS, FIRB BIOINFORMATICA, Oncology Over Internet), many European projects BioinfoGRID, EGEE, Symbiomatics, Net2Drug, ORIEL, INTAS) as well as an international project with NATO.
Within the MIUR Project, in strict cooperation between the participating members (CILEA, Eurotech, Università di Genova, Università di Camerino and the CNR), our bioinformatic platform delivers a high output computing infrastructure based on a cluster composed of 256 Opteron processors with half a terabyte of RAM and a SAN capable of 24TB. This system is capable of 1.2TFs. In addition to this cluster, there are other clusters specifically dedicated to the development and rendering of the data discovered within CISI.
Areas of Research
The Bioinformatics Group develops applications, databases and programs for the study of genetics, transcription, proteomics, and system biology. The group has an expertise in developing new technologies involving molecular dynamics for the discovery of new pharmaceuticals, protein-protein interactions, protein structure prediction, SNP research and genome analysis. This group consists of information technologists, biologists, biotechnologists and bioinformaticians. Lastly, they also posses expertise in GRID computing and the design of high output computing infrastructures.
Scientific Director
Dr. Luciano Milanesi is a researcher within the CNR and is also a professor at the University of Milan-Bicocca. He coordinates European projects for the development of boinformatics programs based on GRID computing (www.bioinfogrid.eu) and is a coordinator of the national project for the International Laboratory of Bioinformatic Technologies (LITBIO www.litbio.it.)
